Mia Maher

5-23-18

SAQ Manifest Destiny

1. Answer a, b, and c.
a) Define Manifest Destiny.
i Manifest Destiny is the belief that it was willed by God for the borders of the
United States to expand across North America. It was used to justify
expansionism in the nineteenth century.

b) Give at least ONE piece of evidence of how the idea of Manifest Destiny served to
guide the practice of the American government.
i One example of how this guided the American government is through the actions
taken by James K. Polk during his presidency. During his presidency, James K.
Polk was able to annex large amounts of territory (such as California, Texas, and
Oregon) and saw Manifest Destiny to its conclusion by working toward
expanding America’s borders westward to the Pacific Ocean.

c) Evaluate the impact of Manifest Destiny on ONE of the following, making sure to
provide at least ONE piece of evidence to support your description:
The American economy
American foreign policy
The American Indians

i. Manifest Destiny was very impactful on the American Economy because

the annexation of California gave the United States access to new ports
that allowed it to trade with Asia and gain new goods and money through
this trade. This territory also allowed immigrants to migrate to these areas
and develop it to become more productive.